Floating and luminous line-carrying rocket.



H. E. A. GUERARD. FLOA'TING AND LUMINoUs LINE CARRYING ROCKET.APPLICATION FILED JULY 21. 1909.

, 94:7, 904;. Patented Feb. 1, 1910.

FIG 6 UNITED sTATEsPATENT OFFICE.

' HENRI EMILE ALExANnRE GUEEAED, or GnAvILLE' sTE. HoNoiaINE, EEA-NGE.

specincation of Letters Patent.' Patented Feb. l1, 1910.

Application led July 21, vvi999.' Serial No. 508,865.

. Rockets, of which the following is aspeciti- -a lon itudinal sectionon a cation.

. rlhis invention relates lto an improved rocket intended to besent.from a ship in.

distress to another ship or life boat and characterized by the followingpoints: (a) The rocket is attached to a l-i-ne which it drags'.with itand which Serves to establish communication between the two ships, 11)the rocket is made tofloat, by the addition of a cork buoy,(6)'immediately the rocket falls in the water 'a light is produced whichis very vivid and very visible at night, while in day time the column ofsmoke which is produced makes it easily perceivable.

A method of making the oating andv luminous line carrying rocketconsists in fixing to an ordinar metallic rocket, a cork buoy carryin acar id of calcium reservoir, which carbi on contact with the water 'vesoit acetylene gas maintained constantly ignited by a capsule containingphosphid of calcium which ignites on contact with water. The vrocket andthe, buoy are conveniently connected to a line which serves to establishcommunication between the two ships.

The annexed drawing shows -by wa of example a form of construction ofthe oating and luminous cable carrying rocket established according tothe invention.

Figure 1 is a view-of the whole. Figs. 2 and 3 are sections maderespectively on the lines A-A and B-B of Fig. 1. Fig. 4- is arger scaleof the uminating apparatus. Figs. 5 and 6 are res ectively a view of thetop and a view o the bottom of the apparatus shownin Fig. 4.

As shown in Fig. 1, 2 and 3, the floating and luminous line carryingrocket is composed of an ordina charged with a composition capable ofdrawing the cork lioat b and the line c attached tothe iioat and therocket a'by three metallic lines d lLr-These three lines are placed onthree wooden sticks f which are fixed to the rocket a by 'rings g and tothe buoy b by rings g1. The rocket thus constructed is fired from asupport of metal or wood'which metallic rocket a i can 'be inclined inthe desired direction. In its projection the rocket vdraws the line cwhich is suiiiciently long (220 to 240 meters). lVhen the rocket fallsin the water the -part a which is metallic maintains thesaid `rocket ina vertical position, Athe buoy b formi-ng a float. it is in t-he upperpart of this buoy b where the luminous appara-tus shown in detail inFigs. 4, 5 and 6 is lodged. This apparatus is composed of acylindrical'receptacle h divided in two unequal compartments l and 2 bya tight partition -i carrying a tube j which issues near the orificelcof the upper wall of the receptacle h which orifice is blocked by a-thi-n soldered plate k1. The compartment 2 .contains carbid of calciumand the compartment 1 phosphid of calcium. The receptacle-h is closed atits lower part by a bottom Z rovided with an orice m closed by a smallrotary plate n. This orifice is surmounted by a tube o.

The receptacle h described above is arranged in the float b as shown inFig. 1 in such a way that its lower part carrying the bottom l comesinto a conduit p made transversely in the iioat b.

WVhen one wishes to make use of the rocket above described,.thereceptacle h is intro# duced into its housing after having removed theobturator k1 and turned the plate n to free the orice m. rBhe whole 1splaced on the stand and the rocket a, is ignited so as to Y project thewhole in. the desired direction.

Immediately the rocket reaches the water, the water passes into the twocompartments 1 and 2. The carbid of'I calcium gives oif acetylene gaswhich passing by the tube j is ignited at the opening lc 'by thephosphid of calcium which has the property of igniting incontact withwater. Each time that vthe acetylene gas 1s extinguishedby any cause it1s inmediately relighted by the piolphid' of calcium which isvconstantly ai t.

feature of especial importance in connection with the present inventionis found in thefact that when the rocket strikes the Water in caseit hasmissed the ship for which it is intended, ignition of the acetylene gaswill take place which at night will cause a bright light or during theday time, a columnvof smoke will rise, thus indicating the position ofthe rocket and permitting the ship for which it was intended to securethe same. The line carrying rocket could also in case of need drivealong a life belt of cork or other suitable material, which would permitof savin a wrecked person incapable of reaching t e coast or the boat.

\ In this event, the belt would be formed of cork washers of about 90m/m of diameter perforated at their center and shifted on a cord ofabout 1 m. 50 in length these`washers being numerous enough to form aweight of about one kilo ram, which is sufficient to support a man 1nthe water.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rocket intended to 'be red from a ship in distress to another shipor life boat comprising in combination an ordinary metallic rocket a, acork float b, sticks f connecting the rocket to the oat, rings q g1,adapted to secure respectively said sticks to the rocket and float,metallic lines 0l attached respectively to said sticks, a life line cattached to the metallic lines, and a luminous apparatus, mounted at theto of the float, substantially as described an pose set forth.

for the pur- 2. A rocket intended to be fired from a ship in distress toanother ship or life boat,

com rising in combination an Ordinar rocket a, a cork float b, areceptacle h mounted at the to of the float and divided into twounequal) compartments, the top and small compartment of whichl isadapted to contain phosphid of calcium while the bottom and largecompartment lis adapted to contain carbid of calcium, a tube j extendingfrom the top of the lower compartment to the top of the uppercompartment, an

HENRI EMILE ALEXANDRE GURARD.

Witnesses:

LoUIs 'BEZANNAL JOHN PRESTON BEECHER;

